December 2, 2021 15:00

Uniform Committee

Uniform allotments from the initial rollout of the Unisync uniform and the contractual allotment received in 2020 will expire on December 31, 2021.
If you order new items, be sure to try them on right away to make sure they fit properly. Try to make any returns as soon as possible since you won’t receive a credit to your allotment until Unisync processes the return.
If you have Unisync uniform pieces that are worn out and need to be repaired or replaced, the Company will do so for free. Get in touch with your supervisor for help.

Any uniform allotment that you have remaining from the initial purchase of the Unisync uniform or subsequent contractual allotment will expire on December 31, 2021. Any amount remaining in your allotment after December 31 will be returned to the company and does not roll over. All Flight Attendants will receive a new contractual uniform allotment of $700 on January 1, 2022 that can be used throughout 2022 and 2023 (CBA section 13.D.1).

When You Receive Your Items, Try Them on Right Away

If you order new pieces, we recommend that you try them on right away to ensure that the sizing is correct. If you need to return items and order new ones, options might be limited if stock becomes depleted and pieces are backordered. As a reminder, you have 90 days to return an item from the date you receive it (CBA addendum to section 13, #2)

Worn Out Uniform Pieces? The Company Will Repair or Replace Them For Free

Under our CBA, the Company is required to repair or replace any basic uniform pieces that are worn out due to normal use or any manufacturer’s defect. There is no charge to your allotment to exercise this contractual provision. Contact your supervisor if you need to make arrangements to have any worn uniform pieces repaired or replaced (CBA section 13.C.2).

Questions?

Your Local Uniform Committee is available to answer questions that you have or provide assistance. Find our contact information on the Uniform Committee page of afaalaska.org.

December 2, 2021 09:00

Master Executive Council (MEC)

Several AFA committees will meet with management next week for regularly scheduled discussions of issues currently impacting Flight Attendants.
Each AFA Local Council/base sends a representative to committee meetings to ensure that the voices of all Flight Attendants are heard.
If you have concerns or items that you would like to see brought forward, please reach out to your respective Local Committee Chairperson prior to the meeting.

Most AFA committees hold meetings with management on a regular basis as a part of their advocacy work on behalf of our Flight Attendants. These meetings are an opportunity for our Committee Members to bring concerns and issues forward and push for improvements to our workplace. Representing you at these meetings is your Local Committee Chairperson (sometimes another Local Committee Member or LEC Officer may fill in), who is your voice to management on matters related to the committee.

Next week, several committee meetings are scheduled to take place with management. They include:

Human Rights Committee on Monday, December 6
Retirement Committee on Tuesday, December 7
Reserve Committee on Thursday, December 9
Hotel Committee on Thursday, December 9
Inflight Service Committee on Friday, December 10

If there are items that you would like to see any of these committees bring forward to management at their upcoming meeting, please let your Local Committee Chairperson know. Click below for contact information.

Human Rights Committee

Retirement Committee

Reserve Committee

Hotel Committee

Inflight Service Committee

December 1, 2021 17:00

For my first “Message from the MEC President,” I thought I would share an email I sent to executive management earlier today regarding Flight Attendant low morale:

I already received this in response:

Jeff and the MEC,

Thank you for sharing the specific concerns and opportunities below. A number of us, including Constance and Todd (Food & Beverage), are meeting this afternoon to review each of your ideas below.

Carmen and I will get back to you once we have evaluated each of them.

Thanks,
Travis

Stay tuned!

/Jeff

November 29, 2021 17:05

Communications Committee

We’re looking to improve the way we communicate using more frequent updates that are more concise and to-the-point.
AFA Alaska News Now posts will be made throughout the week and posted to the AFA Alaska website and AFA Alaska social media channels.
Prefer to receive news by email? AFA Alaska News in Review email updates will still be sent out regularly with a summary of AFA Alaska News Now articles that have been posted recently.

Based on feedback from you and other AFA Members, we’re reformatting the way we share news and updates. Starting today, you’ll start seeing AFA Alaska News Now posts, our new primary way to share information with you. Each post is a single subject update that covers the important information and key points first while still providing additional information that is good to know.

Unlike email newsletters, AFA Alaska News Now posts will be made throughout the week to bring you information closer to when it happens. Each post will be available on the AFA Alaska website and AFA social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram), so no matter how you prefer to receive news you’ll be able to keep up-to-date. If you’d rather receive updates by email, we’ve got you covered. We’ll still be sending out regular AFA Alaska News in Review email newsletters with a summary of recent AFA Alaska News Now articles so you won’t miss anything.

Thoughts or Ideas?

If you have thoughts about our new format or ideas about what you’d like to see covered, we’d love to hear from you! Please send us an email at communications@afaalaska.org.

November 25, 2021 12:00

Thankful On This Thanksgiving Day 2021

Master Executive Council (MEC) President Jeffrey Peterson

In This Message

It’s been a long time
Thankful for…
Let’s get real for a minute
Your emails to management
New communication strategy
Happy Thanksgiving!

It’s been a long time

It has been a long time since I’ve addressed Membership directly—too long! —and that is going to change. Before I get into that in more detail, I would like to take a moment to express my appreciation on this Thanksgiving Day 2021.

Thankful for…

I am so thankful to be a member of such an amazing group of Flight Attendants and for the continued opportunity to represent you. I am thankful for working alongside all the AFA Alaska officers, representatives, and committee members as they tirelessly advocate on your behalf, defend our contract, and ensure Flight Attendants are fairly represented in disciplinary proceedings. I am also thankful to be a member of the AFA Executive Board of Directors and an active participant in AFA-CWA and the broader labor movement. I am also thankful for Alaska Airlines providing the financial means to maintain the roof over my head, the shirt on my back and the food on my table. On a more personal level, I am thankful for my health, my family, and my friends. I feel truly blessed despite one of the most challenging years ever.

Let’s get real for a minute

So now let’s get real for a minute. Working for Alaska Airlines as a Flight Attendant has sucked even more in 2021 than it did in 2020. Because this is a holiday message of thanks, I’m going to keep it light by moving on for now, but we’ll be coming back to this in future communications after the holiday weekend. I know this is “the” thing being talked about on the line. It is truly brutal out there!

Your emails to management

I sincerely appreciate the emails that many of you have sent to management lately regarding your frustrations because they amplify the same themes that I and the other AFA Alaska leaders have been repeating for months now. Please make sure those emails stay respectful because I don’t want anyone to be hauled in by Inflight Performance for a conversation and potentially disciplined for crossing the line. Let me be the “heavy” on your behalf under the shield of union representative ‘immunity’!

New communication strategy

I have heard from many of you loud and clear that you want to hear from AFA Alaska leadership about the relevant topic(s) of the day as they are unfolding. You want to know what your union leaders are doing to represent you “in the moment” as close to real time as possible. I can absolutely assure you without hesitation that we are advocating for you every day, but…if we don’t communicate the details to you, then you don’t know it’s happening.

Starting next week, AFA Alaska will be revamping our communication strategy with the goal of communicating more timely news to you. We will start pushing “AFA Alaska News Now” simultaneously to social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) and to the AFA Alaska Contract 2022 and/or AFA Alaska websites. We will also recap that news in an “AFA Alaska News In Review” weekly digest; “AFA Alaska News in Review” will be sent to personal email addresses on file, so those of you who do not have social media and do not check the AFA Alaska websites regularly will still receive the information.

I thank you in advance for your patience as we ramp up this new communication strategy, and I sincerely hope you will feel more informed by and connected to your AFA Alaska leadership as a result.

Happy Thanksgiving!

On behalf of the entire AFA Alaska MEC, I sincerely hope that you can at least temporarily unplug from all the crazy and celebrate Thanksgiving no matter where in Alaska’s World you may be. You deserve it!

~Jeff

November 24, 2021 09:00

Recent Changes to COVID-19 Policies – Part 4

Master Executive Council (MEC) and Grievance Committee

Click here for Part 1 >

Click here for Part 2 >

Click here for Part 3 >

In This Update

No §32 Attendance Policy Points for Workplace Exposure Quarantines
Grievance No. 36-99-2-241-21 “Violation of §32 Attendance Policy/COVID-19” Withdrawn
Reports of Bullying and Harassment

No More §32 Attendance Policy Points for Workplace Exposure Quarantines

In Inflight Bulletin 2021-0071 (AAG SSO required), Alaska Airlines management updated Company policy with regard to Section 32 Attendance Policy points assessed for unvaccinated and “prefer not to state” Flight Attendants on a Company-directed COVID-19 workplace exposure quarantine.

A few facts:

Management began implementing a policy to assess attendance points to such Flight Attendants effective August 30, 2021.
AFA pushed back and reached an agreement with management by the end of September to retroactively forgive points assessed under that policy change.
Management once again implemented a policy to assess attendance points to such Flight Attendants effective October 1, 2021.
AFA preemptively filed Grievance No. 36-99-2-241-21 “Violation of §32 Attendance Policy/COVID-19” on September 30, 2021, in anticipation of the policy change.
In the early days of October, MEC President Jeff Peterson brought forward concerns to management that assessing attendance points to unvaccinated employees who also have approved accommodations on file is discriminatory and therefore very likely illegal. This is because the accrual of attendance points can lead to discipline and potentially termination, and there is disparate treatment compared to vaccinated employees who do not receive attendance points for the same circumstances. Management was “looking into it.”
Buried under the heading “COVID-19 Vaccination Points” in the November 1^st Bulletin Bundle, management quietly announced a revised policy retroactive to October 1^st that rescinds the previous attempts to assess attendance points to such Flight Attendants.

Coincidence? Absolutely not! Not one word from management about AFA’s advocacy here, but we’re going to take credit for this one.

Grievance No. 36-99-2-241-21 “Violation of §32 Attendance Policy/COVID-19” Withdrawn

AFA has subsequently withdrawn Grievance No. 36-99-2-241-21 “Violation of §32 Attendance Policy/COVID-19” because management’s policy change resolved the contractual dispute.

AFA will continue to pursue a remedy for Grievance No. 36-99-2-230-21 “Violation of §16 Sick Leave/On the Job” because of the disparate treatment of unvaccinated and “prefer not to state” Flight Attendants, who are forced to use sick leave for a Company-directed COVID-19 workplace exposure quarantine.

Reports of Bullying and Harassment

Several Flight Attendants have contacted MEC leadership to report that they have felt bullied due to their COVID-19 vaccination status and/or their opinion about the Company’s COVID-19 policies. This goes both ways—we have received emails from both vaccinated and unvaccinated Flight Attendants. In general, the perceived bullying is not specific to an individual but rather to the groups of vaccinated or unvaccinated Flight Attendants. We wanted to take a minute to remind everyone that we are, first and foremost, all Flight Attendants. Our job is tougher than ever right now, and we need to be respectful of each other, both on the line and on social media.

Many Flight Attendants have applied for and received valid religious or medical exemptions to the vaccination mandate. Alaska Airlines management creates, controls, and monitors the process for applying for and approving or denying such exemption requests. This process is mandated by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prevent religious discrimination and by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to prevent discrimination due to a medical condition. No Flight Attendant should be bullied or made uncomfortable because of exercising or not exercising their rights under the law. Since vaccination status in these cases is tied to a legally protected class, these laws prohibit discrimination and pervasive harassment against such individuals.

On the flip side, some vaccinated Flight Attendants report being bullied about voicing their questions, concerns, frustrations, and general opinions about working conditions: specifically, management’s accommodations process and testing protocol. Federal courts have upheld employees’ rights to openly discuss such concerns. For example, employees are legally allowed to state that they believe the accommodations process is too easy to manipulate or that management should place all employees with approved exemptions on unpaid leaves. Similarly, other employees may express support for the existing process.

These are potentially divisive issues with passionate opinions on both sides, but we need to be kind to each other regardless. We may vehemently disagree with someone, but that does not mean a discussion about it—even if legally protected—is welcome or is not hurtful. Life during the pandemic has been extremely rough, but with less than a year to go to contract negotiations, we need to look out for one another now more than ever and to find strength in our solidarity.

November 5, 2021 14:54

Reassignment and Pre-Cancellations

We have been contacted by some members confused by the differences between Pre-cancellations and Reassignments.

Reassignments take place the day of the sequence or after the sequence has started, whereas a Pre-cancellation takes place no later than the day prior to the sequence.
Flight Attendants are not able to decline Reassignments and waive pay.

A “like sequence” for Reassignment is simply an equal number of days, which is different than an “Alternative Assignment” for a Precancellation (2 hours before/after original report/release).

Pay for Reassignments [Section 10.R.5]
If your Reassignment results in your flying more than originally scheduled, calculated on a day-for-day comparison, the additional flying will be paid at 1.5X pay. [Section 10.R.5.b]

If your Reassignment returns to domicile more than 4 hours past original release time, pay is prorated at 1.5X beyond 4 hours. [Section 10.R.5.d]

Annual Benefits Enrollment

The Alaska Benefits Open Enrollment period for 2022 benefits ends November 17, 2021. Changes will become effective January 1, 2022. To see plan options, visit:

Alaskasworld>>Benefits/Pay>>Benefits>>Healthcare

Have additional questions? Please reach out to the SAN Benefits Committee chair, Sonia Quackenbush, for more assistance.

New Committee Safety Chair

Council 15 would like to send out a warm welcome to our newest ASHSC Chair Eva Gatus.

Eva would like to invite you to reach out with any safety concerns you might have her email is Eva.Gatus@afaalaska.org. Eva has been a committee member and is pleased to start a new chapter in her flying career by becoming the new Chair of ASHSC.

Council 15 would like to thank Ken Hawkins for his years of service as the ASHSC Chair, Ken has recently accepted a position in the training department and we wish him well on his new adventure and we are confident he will help make the training program a success.

AFA Membership Dues

Many Council 15 members are in arrears with their monthly AFA dues based on the most recent report from AFA International’s Membership Services department. Although the amount of months in arrears varies widely, a member that is only one month late ($50) can fall into a “Bad Standing”. Once in Bad Standing, a members votes are not counted nor are they permitted to attend local council meetings until they are become current or make alternate payment arrangements with AFA Membership Services.

The local Membership Committee has begun reaching out to members that are currently in arrears, to advise them of their current balance due.

Due to a system outage account notifications and billing was halted for most of the last year. We still do not currently have access to specific billing information- only the amount due.

If you have taken any of the various Leaves offered due to the pandemic (Staffing Adjustment Leaves, COVID Leaves, or Enhanced Voluntary Furloughs, etc…,) you will likely have a dues requirement. The most common month that is missed is when you return from leave.. The month you come back from leave you wont receive a check and would need to pay that months dues online here PAY DUES NOW.

California Local Councils Membership Meeting Nov 18

The next membership meeting for Council 15 members will be Thursday, November 18, 2021 at 1100 via Zoom. The purpose will be to discuss news and events happening in California bases at Alaska. This meeting will be a combined council meeting and open to all Council 15 (SAN), 18 (LAX) and 35 (SFO) members in good standing (up-to-date on dues). If you have a Questions you want answered please send to San@afaalaska.org, deadline to submit agenda items is 11/15/21. To attend, please register here.

Reassignment and Pre-Cancellations

We have been contacted by some members confused by the differences between Pre-cancellations and Reassignments.

A “like sequence” for Reassignment is simply an equal number of days, which is different than an “Alternative Assignment” for a Precancellation (2 hours before/after original report/release).

Annual Benefits Enrollment

The Alaska Benefits Open Enrollment period for 2022 benefits ends November 17, 2021. Changes will become effective January 1, 2022. To see plan options, visit:

Alaskasworld>>Benefits/Pay>>Benefits>>Healthcare

Have additional questions? Please reach out to the SAN Benefits Committee chair, Sonia Quackenbush, for more assistance.

New Committee Safety Chair

Council 15 would like to send out a warm welcome to our newest ASHSC Chair Eva Gatus.

AFA Membership Dues

The local Membership Committee has begun reaching out to members that are currently in arrears, to advise them of their current balance due.

Due to a system outage account notifications and billing was halted for most of the last year. We still do not currently have access to specific billing information- only the amount due.

California Local Councils Membership Meeting Nov 18

November 3, 2021 20:36

Council 35 News-October 2021

Important Dates

Oct 31: Q3 CBT due soon!
Nov 17: Alaska Benefits Open Enrollment ends
Nov 18: CA Membership Meeting

New Committee Members

Council 35 would like to send out a warm welcome to our newest volunteers! Two members have stepped up to fill in the recently vacated Hotel Committee chair position and to join our Air Safety Health and Security Committee. Introductions are provided in their own words:

ASHSC: Stephanie Garnett

Stephanie started her career with Alaska Airlines in February of 1999. She likes to refer to herself as a recycled FA having worked as a stewardess for Pan American World Airways back in the glory days. As a member of the SEA ASHSC for many years, she has earned 2 Soars awards. In addition, Stephanie serves as the AFA MEC Inflight Service Committee Chairperson. Safety is always paramount with any service decisions. Becoming tired of Seattle weather Stephanie moved to Honolulu almost two years ago with her two Pixie Bob cats. She has family on Oahu as well as the Bay area and enjoys spending time with them. Stephanie would like to invite you to reach out with any safety concerns you might have and would be willing answer some service questions as well. She is pleased to start a new chapter in her flying career by joining the SFO base and having the opportunity to be a member of the SFO ASHSC.

Hotel: Cassie Dole

Cassie began her career in the airline industry over 15 years ago. Starting as a gate agent with JetBlue in 2004, she quickly realized her real drive was in being a flight attendant. After a year with United Airlines, she was hired on with Virgin America in 2007. She quickly transitioned to the training department, and it was there that she found her next role as instructor, preparing flight attendants for life out on the line. Being a part of the cadre team for Virgin America’s international flight certification solidified her love of international travel. In 2010, she was able to partake in a crew exchange with Virgin Australia and was based in Sydney for a year. Traveling and overnight work trips are a passion of hers, she’s excited to channel that motivation, along with her desire to assist fellow flight attendants, in her new role. When not flying the line, Cassie can be found in the recurrent training office instructing, exploring local San Francisco restaurants, or traveling the world.

Reserve Committee Opportunity

Council 35 has a chair opening in the Reserve Committee. Please review the duties and responsibilities which can be found on our website. If you are interested in volunteering, please submit a letter expressing your interest to sfo@afalaska.org.

Annual Benefits Enrollment

The Alaska Benefits Open Enrollment period for 2022 benefits ends November 17, 2021. Changes will become effective January 1, 2022. To see plan options, visit:

Alaskasworld>>Benefits/Pay>>Benefits>>Healthcare

Have additional questions? Please reach out to the SFO Benefits Committee chair, Julie Pearson, for more assistance.

California Local Council Membership Meeting

The next membership meeting for Council 35 members will be Thursday, November 18, 2021 at 1100 via Zoom. The purpose will be to discuss news and events happening in California bases at Alaska. This meeting will be a combined council meeting and open to all Council 35 (SFO), 18 (LAX) and 15 (SAN) members in good standing (up-to-date on dues). Deadline to submit agenda items is 11/15/21. To attend, please register here.

Year End Reminders

Record Improvement

JCBA § 32.G.4. Flight Attendants meeting the following conditions will have attendance points reduced to zero:

4 or less attendance points at the end of the year
achieves 480 TFP for the year
does not accumulate any attendance points for the months of November and December

The manual adjustment occurs mid-January which will be reflected on FAs attendance point records.

PPP

JCBA §21.R. November is the last of the collective block months in the Flight Attendant Productivity Premium Program (PPP). Payout for the block months will be December 20th. To see your accruals, please visit:

Alaskasworld>>Inflight Page>>Administration>>Calculators

480

Flight Attendants must achieve 480 TFP for the year to maintain the following benefits:

Uniforms §13.D.6
Vacation §16.L.4
Health Insurance §33.B.1-4
Attendance year-end record improvement §32.G.4

Got a question?

Contact information for Council 35 committee members can be found on our website. You can also open an online support ticket and the appropriate rep will respond.

In solidarity,

Melissa, James and Brad

Melissa Osborne, LEC President • Melissa.osborne@afaalaska.org • 415-275-1322
James Ikehara, LEC Secretary • James.ikehara@afaalaska.org • 415-289-9011
Bradley Young, Council Representative • Bradley.young@afaalaska.org • 916-508-3503

November 3, 2021 14:00

In This Edition

November 4^th Onboard Service Changes

November 4^th Onboard Service Changes

Inflight Service Committee

On November 4^th, management is planning to launch a significant reintroduction of onboard service that will continue efforts to return the passenger experience to pre-pandemic levels. As a result of AFA advocacy, management did agree to postpone some items that were initially planned to launch, however most changes are still being implemented as scheduled. In the case of main cabin snack offerings, the changes will exceed what was provided prior to the implementation of COVID-19 service reductions. Management has published more information about the upcoming changes on Alaska’s World, in the bulletin bundle, and in service guides located in GoodReader on your IMD.

During the lead up to the upcoming changes, members of our Inflight Service Committee and Air Safety, Health, & Security Committee (ASHSC) as well as several MEC Officers have been engaged with management to assess the changes for safety concerns and other potential impacts to Flight Attendants. Your AFA representatives spent hours upon hours in meetings with management bringing forward numerous issues related to safety, health, operational and procedural challenges, and other concerns shared by Flight Attendants.

Despite these extensive conversations, it became clear that management and AFA are philosophically apart on the potential risks that Flight Attendants face as a result of expanding onboard service in the current environment. Whereas management believes that the introduction of additional service elements does not pose any significant risk to Flight Attendants, AFA believes differently. The health and safety risks posed by additional interaction time with passengers and increased challenges with enforcing the federal mask mandate are likely only to be amplified with more food and beverage items being offered on the aircraft.

Once the onboard service changes take effect on November 4^th, it is critically important that any safety hazards related to the expanded service be documented in ReportIt! as a Flight Attendant Irregularity Report (FAIR). If you encounter any issues related to onboard products, catering supply levels, or procedural concerns, please report them through the Catering Issues function in Block2Block. Data provided through your reporting helps to strengthen the voice of our Inflight Service Committee and ASHSC in their conversations with management about onboard service.

October 15, 2021 12:00

In This Edition

System Board of Adjustment Interviews
Reminder: Zika Letter of Agreement
Understanding Panic Disorder

System Board of Adjustment Interviews

Master Executive Council (MEC)

The Master Executive Council (MEC) will be conducting interviews for one (1) member to serve on the AFA System Board of Adjustment.

Scope

Members are to serve on the System Board of Adjustment for the purpose of arbitrating any disputes or grievances that may arise under the terms of the Agreement between Alaska Airlines and its Flight Attendants.

Policy/Responsibilities

There shall be two members selected by the MEC from active members in good standing to represent the Association. Members will be selected at-large without regard to Local Council or domicile.
Any person seeking a position as a System Board of Adjustment Member must submit a resume. Candidates must interview with the MEC.
System Board Members shall be selected for a two (2) year appointment period in accordance with the AFA Constitution and Bylaws. At least one appointment will be reviewed in June of each year. Selection shall be made, insofar as possible, to ensure that both members will not be new at the same time.
The System Board Members will act in the best interest of the membership and the Association and will be consistent with the Agreement between the Flight Attendants and Alaska Airlines.
The MEC President shall have the ability, in the event of an emergency, to appoint a qualified member in good standing to fill an ad hoc position on the Board, should the alternate not be available.
The MEC on an ad hoc basis, by majority vote, may appoint an expert as a substitute for one member of the System Board of Adjustment.

Qualifications

Current Alaska Airlines Flight Attendant
Willingness to attend the requisite grievance training(s)
In depth knowledge of the contract
Understanding of the principles of just cause
Adherence to Grievance Committee policies, procedures, and standards of ethical conduct
Ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive and personal information
Maintenance of member-in-good-standing status
Ability to remain in good standing with the company
Ability to analyze written data and information with high attention to detail
Strong written and communication skills
Strong computer skills.

Term of Appointment

The selected candidate will serve the remainder of a term of appointment that concludes on June 30, 2023.

Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling

The MEC will hold interviews of eligible candidates during the December Regular MEC Meeting on December 7, 2021. If you’re interested in interviewing, plan to bid around this date or adjust your schedule accordingly to accommodate. All interviews will be conducted using Google Meet videoconferencing.

Interested candidates should submit an expression of interest and resume using the online expression of interest form. The deadline for submissions is 5 PM Pacific time on Tuesday, November 30, 2021. After the submission deadline, MEC Secretary-Treasurer Linda Christou will contact eligible candidates to arrange a specific interview time.

Please note that to submit an expression of interest, you must have a Google account. If you do not have a Google account, you can create one for free at https://accounts.google.com/signup.

Questions?

Any questions regarding the position or application process should be directed to MEC Grievance Committee Chairperson Stephanie Adams at stephanie.adams@afaalaska.org.

Reminder: Zika Letter of Agreement

Grievance Committee

In 2017, AFA and management signed a letter of agreement (LOA) establishing protections for Flight Attendants who are pregnant, attempting to become pregnant, or whose partner is attempting to become pregnant and are scheduled to fly to a Zika-affected area. The LOA outlines the protective provisions and associated procedures that eligible Flight Attendants are responsible for following.

As Alaska Airlines is beginning service to Belize in November, it is timely that we offer a reminder that this LOA is still active. Belize is considered a Zika affected area by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) which triggers the protections outlined in the LOA.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the Zika LOA or the procedures associated with using the protective provisions of the LOA, please contact your Local Grievance Committee.

Understanding Panic Disorder

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)/Professional Standards Committee

What is Panic Disorder?

Panic disorder is a psychological condition that shows up in the form of sometimes serious physical symptoms. These symptoms, called panic attacks, can literally make the victim feel as though he or she is dying: rapid heart rate, difficulty breathing, excessive sweating, dizziness, trembling, intense anxiety, a feeling of loss of control, and helplessness. Imagine what it would be like to jump out of an airplane only to find your parachute won’t open – that’s pretty close to what panic attack victims are feeling in the moment.

When the attacks occur regularly or appear to be caused by a specific set of circumstances, then panic disorder is the cause. There is no specific treatment for a panic attack, per se. But the underlying condition, panic disorder, can be treated with a combination of medications and psychotherapy.

What Causes Panic Disorder?

Like many psychological conditions, panic disorder can originate in many different ways, some of them making little logical sense. A person with a phobia such as fear of heights or enclosed places might experience a panic attack if he or she is in this situation. Alcohol, drugs, and trauma can trigger it. But the cause itself has no bearing on the reaction to it because the threat felt by the victim is one entirely of perception rather than reality.

What to Do if You Have a Panic Attack

The only way to stop a panic attack is to allow it to end, and the only way to do that is to diminish the underlying fear that causes the symptoms. If you allow yourself to experience the symptoms, with a clear realization that there is no real danger, then the attack may be shortened. Breathe deeply and don’t give in to dangerous impulses such as running away or jumping off something. Know that the effects will pass. The more you experience even the smallest triumph of logic over fear, the less intense your attacks will become. If the attacks continue, seek help from a medical professional.

What to Do if You See Someone Having a Panic Attack

You may feel pretty helpless when encountering someone having a panic attack. Tell them to keep breathing and assure them that there is no danger. The problem here is that the victim will tell you that they are having a heart attack, can’t breathe, or feels like they are about to pass out, and odds are good that you aren’t qualified to assess the reality of that perception. Call for help quickly and do your best to calm the victim until help arrives. The best thing you can do when it’s over is offer comfort, assure the person that professional help is available and encourage them to seek that assistance.

Questions or Need Help?

Our AFA EAP Committee is available to provide assistance with referrals. Please call (949) 470-0493 or visit afaalaska.org/eap for contact information.

When You Receive Your Items, Try Them on Right Away

Worn Out Uniform Pieces? The Company Will Repair or Replace Them For Free

Questions?

Thoughts or Ideas?

Thankful On This Thanksgiving Day 2021

In This Message

It’s been a long time

Thankful for…

Let’s get real for a minute

Your emails to management

New communication strategy

Happy Thanksgiving!

Recent Changes to COVID-19 Policies – Part 4

In This Update

No More §32 Attendance Policy Points for Workplace Exposure Quarantines

Grievance No. 36-99-2-241-21 “Violation of §32 Attendance Policy/COVID-19” Withdrawn

Reports of Bullying and Harassment

In This Edition

November 4th Onboard Service Changes

In This Edition

System Board of Adjustment Interviews

Scope

Policy/Responsibilities

Qualifications

Term of Appointment

Expressing Interest and Interview Scheduling

Questions?

Reminder: Zika Letter of Agreement

Questions?

Understanding Panic Disorder

What is Panic Disorder?

What Causes Panic Disorder?

What to Do if You Have a Panic Attack

What to Do if You See Someone Having a Panic Attack

Questions or Need Help?

Recent Posts

Local Councils

Master Executive Council

Negotiations

Contract

Committees

News By Month

News By Category

Want To Stay In The Loop?

Connect With AFA

November 4^th Onboard Service Changes